Electrogalvanic battery.



Nopos. l Patented not.. 3o, |900.

H. al. BREWERv Y ELECTRUGAL-VANIGBATTERY. I

(Application ledJuly 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheetsr-Shet I.

. Patented Oct. 30'! f H. .1. BREWER. 90u

ELECTRUGALVANIG BATTERY.

I (Application led July 7, 1899.) (No Model.) v 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

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. NITED STATES- ATENT GEFICE.

HoRATIo VJ'. BREWER, oE NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTROGALVANIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 660,836, dated ctober-SO, 1900.

Application filed July 7, 1899. Serial No. 723,067. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownl that I, HoRATIo J. BREWER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrogalvanic Batteries, of which the following is a speciiication sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to galvanic batteries in which slabs of depolarizing material-such as peroxid of manganese, carbon, dac-are used in combination with a carbon electrode to form the conducting or electronegative element, as in the Leclanch battery. As heretofore used the slabs of compressed depolarizing material have been bound to electrodes in the form of lat plates of carbon by means of elastic rubber bands, the resilience of the rubber being relied upon to establish and maintain the desired contact between the opposed surfaces of carbon and conglomerate. In practice, however, the rubber bands under tension rapidly deteriorate and lose their elasticity and power, resulting in looseness of contact and consequent internal resistance in the battery, and finally in the breaking of the bands and the descent of the conglomerate to the bottom of the jar, rendering the battery useless. In my concurrent application, Serial N o. 7 23,056, filed July 7, 1899, herewith, I overcome these objections to the use of slabs of conglomerate material by suspending them upon a carbon electrode having inclined bearing-surfaces by means of binders, which are not necessarily elastic.

The object of my present invention is likewise to attain and maintain an intimate mechanical and electrical contact between the carbon electrode and a slab or slabs of compressed depolarizing material; and the'invention consists, primarily, in forming the opposed surfaces of the carbon electrode and of a slab of conglomerate material in such manner that they interlock and hold the conglomerate against longitudinal or vertical displacement, and, secondarily, in combining with the interlocking plates of carbon and depolarizing material binders which prevent lateral or horizontal displacement of the conglomerate and insure an intimate electrical improved electronegative element has been applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of tl1e battery jar and cover, showing my new conducting or electronegative.element. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the carbon electrode shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the electronegative elementv arranged as in Fig. 2, except that the protruding shoulders are formed upon the conglomerate slab instead of upon the carbon electrode. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the upper part of the carbon electrode and the upper part of a slab of conglomerate, showing a modification in the form of the interlocking shoulders. Fig. 6 is a Vertical section of the electronegative element, showing another modification in form. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the inner side of one of the slabs of conglomerate shown in Fig. 6. Fig. Sis an elevation illustrating still another modification in the form of the electronegative element. Fig. 9is an isometrical' View of the inner side of one of the slabs of conglomerate shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an elevation of my electronegative element in which conglomerate slabs of ordinary construction are used. Fig. ll is an elevation of the element composed of a carbon electrode and a single slab of conglomerate.

The essential feature of the invention resting in the interlocking of the carbon electrode C, with a slab or slabs S of conglomerate depolarizing material, it is obviously immaterial whether the protruding shoulders p gage with a receding vor internal shoulder r' on the other. Thus in Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and ll the external shoulders p are formed upon IOO the electrode C and the receding or internal shoulders upon the engaging slabs S, while in Figs. 4 and 10 illustrations are given of the alternative structure, the external shoulders l inbefore referred to consist of surrounding p being upon the conglomerate slabs S and the internal shoulders upon the electrode C. It will be seen that in eii'ner case the resull is the same, the conglomerate being suspended upon the carbon electrode C (in turn suspended from the cover F of the jarJ) and held against longitudinal or Vertical movement thereon by the interlocking of the shoulro ders p and fr.

Binders B, of cord or other suitable material, may be used t-o secure the conglomerate to the carbon against horizontal or lateral displacement. These binders in reality secure the carbon and conglomerate against slip or derangement in any direction, since they render permanent the interlocking of the exterior shoulders p with the interior shoulders 1".

The carbon electrode is supported upon the zo cover F by any desired or well known rnechanical expedient, as by the collar c, fitting 'under the lugs ee on the neck of the carbon,

as illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

Z is the positive or zinc electrode, applied z5 in the usual manner.

The advantages of thus constructing and combining the parts of an electronegative element of this character are that the weight of the conglomerate is utilized in effecting 3o and maintaining a close electrical and mechanical contact between the opposed surfaces oi' the external shoulder 19 and of the internal shoulder fr; that there can be no slipping or derangement of the conglomerate either in transportation, handling, or use; that elastic binders are not essential, since the interlocking shoulders afford the requisite electrical contact independent of external 01 auxiliary pressure, and hence objections re- 4o sulting from the deterioration of rubber binders are avoided, and that comparatively cheap simple binders of string, cord, or equivalent inelasticI material may be used to secure the parts of the electronegative together in a manner that is practicallyvpermanent for the life of the battery.

It is to be understood that my present invention is essentially an improvement upon the simpler form of Leclanch battery in 5o ordinary Lise, in which the conglomerate material is attached to a vertical carbon electrode by rubber bands, the tension of which is relied upon to effect the electrical contact and support the conglomerate against the ver- 5 5 tical sides of the carbon plate.

The distinguishing feature of my invention consists in forming the parts with interlocking shoulders in such manner that the weight of the conglomerate is utilized in suspending 6o the conglomerate on the Vertical sides of the carbon plate and securing an intimate and positive electrical contact therewith, in confy tradistinction to the old method of relying on elastic bands to furnish sufficient frictional contact between the opposed vertical surfaces to attain the desired contact and support. It is also to be understood that the binders herebands used simply to prevent the lateral displacement of the conglomerate material suspended upon the carbon plate by preserving the engagement of the interlocking shoulders, as distinguished from bolts and other mechanical expedients for clamping the parts together. Furthermore, the interlocking shoulders herein described are integral with and are composed of the same material as the parts upon which they are formed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a galvanic battery, an electronegative element consisting of a vertical plate of carbon forming the electrode, and a slab of depolarizing material suspended upon said carbon plate by means of interlocking shoulders formed respectively upon the said vertical carbon plate and the slab of conglomerate, said interlocking shoulders being integral with, and of the same material as, the parts upon which they are formed, whereby the Weight of the conglomerate is utilized in maintaininga close electrical contact between the carbon and conglomerate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a galvanic battery, an electronegative element consisting of a vertical plate of carbon forming the electrode, a slab of depolarizing material suspended upon said carbon plate by means of interlocking shoulders formed respectively upon the said vertical carbon plate and the slab of conglomerate, said interlocking shoulders being integral with, and of the same material as, the parts upon which they are formed, whereby the weight of the slab of conglomerate is utilized in maintaining a close electrical contact between the carbon and the conglomerate, and a retaining-band surrounding the said carbon plate and slab of conglonierate whereby the engagement of the aforesaid interlocking shoulders is maintained,substantially as here in set fort-h.

3. In a galvanic battery, an electronegative element consisting of a central vertical plate of carbon forming the electrode, and two slabs of conglomerate material suspended upon opposite sides of said central vertical carbon plate by means of interlocking shoulders formed respectively upon said carbon plate and the slabs of conglomerate, said interlocking shoulders being integral With, and of the same material as, the parts upon which they are formed, whereby the weight of the slabs of conglomerate is utilized in maintaining a close electrical contact between the carbon and the conglomerate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a galvanic battery, an electronegative element consisting of a central vertical plate of carbon forming the electrode, two slabs of conglomerate material suspended upon opposite sides of said vertical carbon plate by means of interlocking shoulders formed respectively upon the said carbon plate and the IOO IIO

v slabs of conglomerate,said interlocking shoulthe carbon plate whereby the engagement of the aforesaid interlocking shoulders is main- 1o tained, substantially as set forth.l

HORATIO J. BREWER.

Witnesses:

D. W. GARDNER, GEO. WM. MLATT. 

